Walk: Mon. June 1 @ Loblaws

I would say it was the perfect weather for a race, and the course wasn't as manic as expected. Yes, there were bikes that it might have been nice to have avoided -- but it was okay. Not enough porta-potties for an all-woman race. Some would say not enough firefighters. But okay.

Betsy and Alexis completed their very first half marathons. Dawn swears this is her very last half. Two firsts and a final, and a lot of great gals in between. Way to go, all of us!

A first batch of pictures is up on Flickr, so have a look. More to come. The results aren't posted yet, but they should be up eventually on RoadRaceResults.com -- search for the race through the calendar feature.

Unsure how many of us racers will be up for a walk on Monday night. We'll keep it an easy 5-6K, as the schedule for the Toronto Island Women's Half won't start till next week. Unsure even if I'll be out myself on Monday (TBD), but I will see you Wednesday or Saturday.

Walk: Sat. May 30 @ Tim's & Toronto Women's Half

Taking it to the streets
Originally uploaded by theshorethings

This is what the world looked like when we first started training for the Women's Half. We've covered a lot of ground since then. If you've done the training, then you're ready. If you've missed some training then, hey, just think of it as a walk in the park.

Over the next couple of days, be careful what you eat, so there are no upset tummies on race day. The only porta-potties will be at the race start/finish! However, there will be a few park public restrooms on the eastern wing of the route (nothing that I can recall on the western wing). Pack some paper in your pouch, protected in a baggie.

A few spots along the route will be congested as the runners loop back as we're heading forward. Also, the park is not closed to traffic during the race. That means bikes and strollers, too. So watch out as you walk. Let's just expect chaos and have fun.

See all you racers on Sunday, if not at the car pool (we're leaving here around 6:30), then near the chip pick-up place from about 7.

If you'll be walking on Saturday, please sign in so the non-racers know they'll have company. I'm pretty sure Bob is planning on walking. Choose the distance of your dreams.

Wherever you walk, be safe and have a great time.

Walk: Wed. May 27 @ Shoppers

Don't mind the weather. We've seen worse than a few specks of rain. Join me for the last 5K, a minuscule 5K, of our Toronto Women's Half training.

Bon Voyage to Charlotte, smiling and waving here, who's on her way to explore another fascinating part of the world, this time Alaska. I have already put in my request for pictures for the blog. Though I'd be happy to go and art direct if someone provided a ticket. Failing that, I'll see you at 7 pm.

Walk: Mon. May 25 @ Loblaws

Think of all the kilometres we've logged, the places we've been, the weather we've, erm, enjoyed. Now, it's down to the wire. Just a few more klicks left. Monday is just 6K.

For various reasons, Bob, Jan and I will be away on Monday night. The plan is for Jan & I to walk at 7 am on Monday morning. Let me know if you'd like to join us.

Wherever you are, have a great walk.

Preparing for the Toronto Women's Half:

Race kits: Remember to send Dawn your race confirmation if you want her to pick up your kit.

Getting there: Other than the couple who have spoken to me directly, I haven't heard from anyone about car pooling. Please reply to this email if you want or can offer a ride.

Race tips: Here are some reminders about how to prepare for our big race:

Remember the Cardinal Rule: Nothing new on race day.
That means no new shirts, technical or otherwise, no new shoes, no new socks, no new food, no new routines, no new nothin'. The only things allowed to be new are: fun, friends you meet on the route and, of course, medals.

Nutrition:

• The week before the race, pay attention to what you eat. As early as Thursday, start avoiding foods that might upset a delicate constitution. This includes very spicy, fibrous or fatty foods. But you know your tummy best.
  
• The night before the race, stick to simple, wholesome complex carbs. Pasta is a traditional night-before meal. Don't eat too much roughage, such as salads or raw veggies, the night before as they might enforce an, ahem, unscheduled pit-stop en route.
• Drink plenty of water (but don't overdo it) and get the best possible night's sleep by cutting out caffeine or alcohol. Of course, the latter is entirely at your discretion!
• The day of the race, have your usual breakfast. Hopefully, it includes a good source of complex carbs as fuel. Drink a cup or so of water 1-2 hours before the race. Avoid caffeine, especially if you haven't been training with it, as it's a diuretic -- potential pit-stop problems, again.
• During the race stick to water at the aid stations, unless you know what Gatorade will do to your stomach. You will sweat, so regular hydration is a must as you walk. But, you don't want the discomfort of water sloshing around in your stomach (or that pit-stop thing to recur). So stick to a couple of small mouthfuls of water for every 20 minutes of your race. Bring your usual snack for mid-race refueling.
• On a hot day, take two cups of water at the water station: one for inside you, one for outside you, on your head or down your back to cool you down.
  
• After the race you'll need water, protein (for muscle rebuilding) and carbs (to refuel your muscles with glycogen). Your post-race ritual is your own. I, for instance, always need my personal juju: a banana. Wish I could develop a taste for untoasted bagels, as they seem to be abundant after most races.

Clothing & kit:

• Check for the weather and dress and kit up for it as you normally would. Remember though than anything excess has to be carried for 21.1K.
  
• Depending on the weather, a green garbage bag with holes cut for head and arms is a good windbreak for standing around at the race start, and easily discarded.
• Don't forget your camera!
• Put a few sheets of toilet paper in your pouch, wrapped in a baggie, just in case. (This is particularly advisable for hot-weather races.)
• Sunscreen or skin protection is essential -- but not a brand you haven't used before. Lip balm for lips, ditto.
  
• To prevent chafing or blisters, try BodyGlide over the next few walks: available from Running Room and other sports stores.
  

Pacing & race strategy:

• Set your own pace and walk your own race -- don't try to keep up with someone who is walking too fast or too slow for you. We'll all meet up at the end.
• It's good to have three goal times in mind: acceptable, realistic and optimistic. Set them at 15-minute intervals.
  
• Don't get caught up by the excitement of the start and set off too quickly. Give yourself a few kms to warm up, even in hot weather. Then continue at a comfortable pace that you can keep up for the first half of the race. It's probably close to the pace you do on Saturdays. In the next quarter, pick it up if you have more in you; then, in the last quarter, give it whatever you've got left. Imagine yourself checking off the miles/kms as you go.
  
• At the race finish, hold your head up, throw your shoulders back and smile for the camera.

Race time!

• Get up early to be sure you've done everything you have to do to feel fueled and comfortable. Do some walking around at home or some sun salutations; a glass of hot water can be, um, constitutional. Could I be more euphemistic?
  
• Get in that last-minute porta-potty stop at the race start, pose for the group shot, and have a great race!

Walk: Sat. May 23 @ Tim's

While we were looking at tulips last Saturday, our hikers were looking at trilliums and dogwoods -- the latter captured here by Ruth. Well done, gals! Another leg of the Bruce Trail end-to-end under your feet.

Our walk this weekend veers a little from schedule. We're going to do 10K, and we'll do the route that uses Neville Park as the turnaround.

Wear your hats, sunscreen and BodyGlide, if I can even dare to make a weather prediction. Top up your water, and for all you Toronto Women's Halfers, bring the snacks you'll be using on your race. We need to get used to walking in hot weather again.

P. Dawn has volunteered to pick up race kits, so email her your race confirmation if you'd like her assistance. Track down your Shore Things Directory, as Dawn's email address is there. Also, for carpools on race day, let me know if you can drive or if you need a ride.

Happy birthday, in advance, to Maria -- hey, girl, are you still doing the race with us?

Walk: Wed. May 20 @ Shoppers

Whether you did your 18K on Saturday in the rain (it wasn't that bad) or on Monday in the sunshine (it was glorious), you passed this amazing display of pink tulips. A beautiful reward for all those klicks.

(I'm hoping our long-distance hikers also took their cameras out, too. Send me your shots!)

The training fun for the Toronto Women's Half is almost all behind us: one last longish walk of 13K on Wednesday. A route is posted on the blog. See you at 7.

Walks: Victoria Day Weekend

Rosetta McClain Park (or just shy of there; but the park provides a handy bio break stop) is our turnaround for Saturday's 18K.

Please note, we have an earlier start, at 7:30 am, for those doing the long walk. (If you prefer to sleep the extra half hour and walk at 8, sign in to tell your walking friends so they can choose.)

Remember to bring fuel for the long journey: gels or jellies, sports bars, or whatever you like best. It should have some salts to rebalance your electrolytes.

Also bring water or a sports drink. Take one or two sips every 20 minutes -- to keep you juiced up without making you stop to pee.

I've vowed not to talk about the weather. But bring cab money and a phone, just in case. I've also found it wise to slip toilet paper in my pouch. A ziplock bag for these things is water-tight. I say no more.

On Monday, it's a paltry 8K. Note that we'll meet in the morning, 9 am at Loblaws. We have enough people to make a morning walk work. However, if you prefer to meet in the evening, illuminated by fireworks, please say so, so that people can choose between times.

Please sign in to let us know who's coming, when and where. Hope to see you but, if not, have a great long weekend.

Walk: Wed. May 13 @ Shoppers

It was a night at the opera, and the highlight, of course, was our grand aria on the staircase. Here, we pause for breath. Musetta, eat your heart out.

The Four Seasons Centre is a wonderful space for music, and the view was good even from our 5th Ring seats. But big thanks to Olwyn for organizing the backstage tour. It's really what made our evening special.

Tonight, we'll do a technique session before our walk. Meet at Shoppers as usual, and we'll warm up on our way over to the track at Cosburn and Coxwell. After 30-40 minutes of technique, we'll set off for 8K (to make up our scheduled 10K). If you have time beforehand, have a look at the Technique Tips (they're posted on the blog if you ever want a review). See you at 7 pm.

Long weekend coming up, so let's think ahead about Monday. Please declare whether you would prefer a morning or evening walk on Monday.

Walk: Mon. May 11 @ Loblaws

Oh, there's no end to the bad puns I could be making...

Hail, hail, the gang's all here! You say goodbye, I say, "Hail? Ow!" (Did I show you my hail bruises? Seriously, I have them.) What the hail were we thinking? We've been walking to extremes, it seems, this weather cycle.

Monday should be fair, but I assume no responsibility should it change its mind. Please join me for 10K.

Walk: Sat. May 9 @ Tim's

We've passed this guy many times, it would seem. But I noticed him for the first time only when we last did 16K. The tree he inhabits is on the north side of the white picnic shelter, near the Leuty Lifeguard Station.

Watch out for him. But don't worry. I'm sure his bark is worse than his bite.

It's 16K again. At the moment, the weather looks promising. Let's do the boardwalk route, and once again the turnaround is Lakeside in the Bluffs. See you at 8 am.

I close with this personal note from Libby about a film at the HotDocs documentary festival, which ends this weekend:

I know some of the group are keen on Hot Docs. My daughter's friend Eva Markvoort is starring in one called 65_RedRoses. Eva is on the front cover of this week's NOW magazine. (It is also playing Sunday.) The girls were camp counsellors together in Vancouver. Eva has cystic fibrosis and the film is real live coverage of her double lung transplant story. Eva is an amazing girl!

Walk: Wed. April 6 @ Shoppers

Not sure how many people will be out on Wednesday, as the Hot Docs festival is in full swing. However, this Wednesday and next, we'll begin with some technique review at the track.

Meet at Shoppers as usual. We'll warm up on our way to the track at Coxwell and Cosburn, will do 30-45 minutes of technique, then head out for a shorter walk to make up our scheduled distance. So this Wednesday, it'll be track + 8K to make 11K. If we need more (or less) tech talk, we'll review the distance at that time. See you at 7 pm.

Before I leave, with sunny days on the increase, it's a good time to re-post this info on sunscreens provided by Ruth last year after a talk with one of Sunnybrook's dermatologists:

To get protection against both UVB rays and UVA rays, look for a product that contains mexoryl, helioplex, or parsol 1786. If you blank out when it comes to remembering chemical names, any product that carries the seal of the Canadian Dermatology Association will provide good broad spectrum protection. There is a list at the web site below.

http://www.dermatology.ca/patients_public/info_patients/sun_safety/recognized_sunscreens.html

The dermatologist's particular recommendations were:
La Roche Anthelios
Vichy
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer

These recommendations are based on finding a product that feels nice on your skin, so that you won’t mind using it. The most important thing is to find something you like, so that you’ll use it.

As my doctor recently burned off an iffy little lesion on my forearm, I'll be paying much more attention to my sun protection from now on.

Walk: Mon. May 4 @ Loblaws

Friends, it was a lovely walk. Thank you, Norma, for making such a strong case for the boardwalk. Today was the perfect day for it.

If anyone has suggestions for routes, please let me know. It's nice to mix it up, and people do like different routes for different reasons.

Monday is 8K again from Loblaws. Bob & I will be away for this one because of Hot Docs (our only conflict with walk nights), so choose one of the 8K routes from the blog. See you on Wednesday instead.

FYI, people are already starting to sign up for fall events, including the Midsummer Night's 15K, the Toronto Island Women's Half and the KW Walking Classic. You can check who's doing what so far on our Interests List and click through to race info, all on the blog. Have a looksee.